Means of attaching heads and shafts of golf clubs and the like



Dec. 6, 1927. I 1,651,843

\ W. B. SIME MEANS OF ATTAGHING HEADS AND SHAFTS OF GOLF CLUBS AND'THE LIKE Filed Aug. 5, 1923 Patented Dec. 6, 1927.

UNITED" STATES ATET OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. SIME, OF DAYTON, OHIO. ASSIGNOR TO THE CRAWFORD, MGGREGOR AND CANBY COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

MEANS OF ATTACHING HEADS AND SHAFTS OF GOLF CLUBS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed August 3, 1923. Serial No. 655,472.

My invention relates, to golf clubs and more particularly to a means and method of reinforcing the necks and handle shafts of golf clubs and for securing and protecting the joint between the golf club head and lts handle shaft either as a substitute for or supplemental to the usual whipping or wopping.

The present inventioncontemplates the banding or .encircling of the joint between the golf club head and its handle shaft and such other portions of the neck of the club head and the handle shaft as may be subjected to hard usage and breakage, by the application of strips of elastic or otherwise extensible material having the characteristics of shrinking or contracting when permitted to set or harden and which will adhere .to the club and the overlapping or abutting portion of which will unite or cohere to form an integral sleeve or reinforcement band. The invention also contemplates the application of such contractile wopping to the handle grip wrapping for securing the ends of the wrapping and protecting the end of the handle shaft.

The object of the invention is to simplify the structure as well as the means and mode of operation of reinforcing golf clubs and securing golf club heads to their handle shafts whereby they will not only be cheapchanges, and unlikely to become loosened or broken.

A further object of-the invention is to provide an improved method of applying a contractile envelope.or banding for the reinforcement of a golf club by applying such material in a softened and expanded condition and in strip form and allowing the wrapped strip of expanded or swelled material to contract upon the enclosed club part.

. A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for reinforcing golf club heads and handle shafts at the point of most likely breakage and provide improved means for securing the handle wrapping and to afford a protective cap for the exposed end of the handle shaft.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention congrip sectlon.

'a golf club to which the present method and form of reinforcement has been applied. F lg. 52 is a detail perspective View showing the method of applying the reinforcement strip or wopping of contractile material. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the protective end cap for the golf club handle grip formed of the contractile material hereinafter described. Fig. 4 is an elevation of a golf club illustrating the spliced type of joint between the handle shaft and club head the reinforcement banding or sleeve forming the subject matter hereof being shown in section. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a club head to which the piesent method of handing has been applied supplemental to the usual wopping or wrapping about the joint between the club head and the handle shaft.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

It is customary to whip or .wrap the joint between the neck of the club head and the handle shaft of .a golf clubwith thread of coating of adhesive material. Such whipping or wrapping is known as wopping. The ends of the handle grip wrapping are also secured in like manner by a short length of whipping or wopping at each end of the Such whipping or wopping becomes worn and frayed in use and is subject to rapid deterioration. When worn such wrapping or wopping absorbs moisture to more or less extent and the whipping thread or twine becomes weakened allowing the handle shaft to become loose in the hosel or the grip wrapping to become unsecured. The present reinforcement means and its mode of application to the golf club is intended to overcome such ob ectionable features of the thread or twine wopping by providing a banding or envelope of contractile material which will compress or constrict the enclosed portions of the hosel and handle shaft and which will be impervious -fine twine which is set in shellac or other to moisture and unaffected by temperature changes.- I am aware that heretofore it has been proposed to mould upon the hosel or neck. of the club head a stem formed from a plastic or paste like material which, after being formed is bored out to subsequently receive the handle shaft for which it forms a ferrule. The present construction however differs from this prior means and method by providing forthe preliminaryintercone nection of the handle shaft within the neck or hosel of the club head and the subsequent wrapping of the contractile or reinforcement material in strip form about the joint and overlapping the hosel and handle shaft in both directions from the joint. Such expanded or swollen wrapping material is then permitted to shrink into tight gripping engagement and adherent attachment to the handle shaft and hosel. v

7 There are various materials available which are well adapted to the present purpose. Any material having the requisite characteristics of expansion and contraction, of initial flexibility to enable it to conform to the contourof the club, resistance to the effect of moisture and temperature. and unlikely to become broken, cracked, or chipped, may be successfully employed. As examples of suitable material there may be mentioned celluloid, pyralin, composition, or even .certain grades of rubber compound. Thus far in practice celluloid or analogous materials have proven most satisfactory as to economy of manufacture and the practical requirement of commercial production. In applying the reinforcing or banding material the neck or hosel of the club is bored and the end of the handle shaft is fitted into such bore in the usualmanner or the head and handle shaft are jointed by a cleft splice as shown in Fig. 4. Preparatory to being applied to the club the material is cut into suitable strips according to the length or extent of the band or reinforcement to be applied. In order that the material may be applied evenly and uniformly the strip is preferably though not necessarily cut to a somewhat elongated triangular form as shown in Fig. 2. This strip is wrapped helically about the neck and handle shaft of the club. The tapered or pointed extremi-- ties of the strip enable the wrapping to terminate in a continuous line about the club shaft or 'a single lane. Before being wrapped about the'c ub the strips of material are subjected to the softening and expanding efi'ect of a suitable solvent. In the case of celluloid, pyralin, or analogous material this solvent may be ether. acetone, or wood alcohol. For certain conditions of use and to meet particular requirements the ma.- terial may be submerged or directly treated in the solvent but by experiment the preferred method has been found to suspend ,like rubber.

the strips in a vessel over a quantity of wood alcohol whereby the strips of celluloid or like material are subjected to the fumes only of the solvent. When so subjected to the alcohol fumes for a period of approximately 24 hours the celluloid or analogous material becomes quite soft and swollen and more or less elastic. It becomes somewhat thickened and can be stretch-ed more or less The material however still retains its strip form and will withstand a moderate degree of pulling effort in Wrapping the strip about the club. Before aplying the reinforcement strip the surface of the handle shaft and hosel to be wrapped is coated with a cement made by dissolving a small uantity of the reinforcement material suci as the celluloid or pyralin in a suitable solvent as wood alcohol to a liquid or semi-liquid form having the consistency of a thick glue or cement. In view of the high factorof contraction of such material as it sets or dries this initial coating of the dissolved material is made quite heavy and quite thick. This initial coating is for the purpose of insuring uniform adherence of 'the wrapping strip and to avoid air pockets or air bubbles beneath the strip when applied. The wrapping strip is then applied as shown in Fig. 2 and wrapped entirely about the hosel and shaft as indicated by dotted lines. The strlp is pulled tight as it is being wrapped and if held tightly a few moments will adhere with sufficient strength to retain itswrapped position. When initially wrapped the reinforcement isof somewhat greater diameter than the adjacent portions of the hosel and handle shaft. The. material however dries rather rapidly and as it sets it shrinks very materially thus contracting tightly upon the enclosed portion of the club and conforming closely to the outline or contour of the club part. As the wrapping progresses more or less of the preliminary semi-fluid coating is exuded. through the joints between succeeding convolutions of the strip. This coating material serves to completely fill any intervening crevices and to unite or cement the abutting ed es of the strip to form a continuous integral sleeve or envelope. If any unevenness occurs in the wrapping it may be corrected by applying solvent to the exterior ofthe wrapped reinforcement strip or by applying a quantit of the preliminary coating material whic will tend to soften and reduce an uneven portion of the reinforcement. A ter the material has been allowed to completely set or harden it becomes quite hard upon the club and can be worked down into uniformity with the adjacent portions of the hosel and handle shaft by filin scraping, machining or by other suitable operations and may be: fitted and polished to present an attractive appearance. The

. wrapping strip may be produced in any desired color so that the golf club reinforced by the present method will present a very attractive appearance.

In the drawings 1 is the club head, 2 the handle shaft, and 3 the leather wrapped grip. In Fig. 1 of the drawings the joint between the handle shaft and the club head has been shown enclosed and reinforced in.

a sleeve 4 by the reinforcement material applied as heretofore described. In this in-.

stance the sleeve is continuous and encloses adjacent portions of the hosel 5 and handle shaft 2. In applying the reinforcement material the hosel may be reduced to form a shoulder as at 6 in Fig. 2, against which the reinforcement band or sleeve abuts. However such construction is not necessary and the material may be wrapped about the hosel and handle shaft without the provision of such rabbet or shoulder and be later reduced to feather-edges conforming to the contour of the club as shown in Fig. 4. The latter construction whether employed upon a spliced joint or one in which the handle shaft extends within a bore in the neck of the club is to be preferred since it retains the full amount of the material of the club head. In Fig. 2 the strip of reinforcement niaterial cut to shape with a preliminary partial wrap about the club head hosel is shown at 1:2. The reinforcement is employed not only at the joint between the handle shaft and club head but reinforcement bands 7 may be distributed throughout the length of the handle shaft as indicated in Fig. 1. These bands tend to reinforce and strengthen the handle shaft and prevent breakage without materially interfering with the whip or flexibility of the shaft. Likewise bands 8 of the material ma be applied to the end of the wrapping 0 the grip 3 to secure the cover or wrapping in place. At the upper end of the handle grip there is preferably though not necessarily provided a cap 9 of the contractile material which when softened and expanded is slipped over the end of the handle-shaft and the end of the grip wrapping and allowed to contract thereon. Such cap 9 not only secures the wrapping of the handle grip but it also protects the end of the handle shaft against the entrance'of moisture and presents a smooth, neat appearance. It is obvious that the reinforcement material may be applied supplementary to the usual whipping or wopping with thread or twine. In such case the usual thread whipping would be applied and the reinforcement strip wrapped on top of the thread whipping. In Flg. 5 there is shown a modification wherein the usual thread or twine wopping is applied with spaced bands of the reinforcement material applied as heretofore described at each end of the whipped section.

and enclosing the terminal. windings of the intermediate. whipping 11. Inasmuch as clubs are subjected. to breakage or cracking in the hosel or neck and to breaking of the handle shaft just above the joint the banding 10 shown in Fig. 5 will overcome this difficulty and reinforce the club at its weakest point.

The present method and material is not only applicable to new clubs during manufacture but is also useful in applying reinforcing bands to broken clubs for repair purposes and to extend their period of usefulness. While the material and process have been described more particularly in its application'to golf clubs for which it is particularly adapted it is also applicable to other purposes as for instance the banding and reinforcement of fishing rods. Insuch instance narrow strips of the contractile material may be applied at spaced intervals about a fishing rod in lieu of the silk wrapping or whipping. The material and process may also be adapted to the formation of ferrules in lieu of the usual metal ferrules connectin fishing rod joints.

From tl le above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing .the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obvio-usly is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited tothe specific details shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprises the preferred form of several modes .of putting the invention into effect and the invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A. golf club comprising a shaft and a head provided with a bore in which the end of the shaft is secured, in combination with a ferrule formed by wrapping a strap of ,initially flexible expanded reinforcement characteristics of subsequently shrinking and hardening.

2. A golf'club comprising a shaft with a tapering end and a head provided with a tapering bore ,-fin which. the end of the shaft is secured in" combination with a ferrule comprising a strip of flexible material wrapped about the joint between the shaft strip and head .and subsequently shrunk andhardened in situ. Y

3. A golf club comprisinga shaft with a tapering end and a head bored at one side to receive the said end in combination with a strip of plastic material wrapped spirally and contracted in situ about the joint to unite the shaft to the head. 2

4. A golf club comprising a shaft with a tapering end and a head with a tapering shank, thelatter being bored to receive said end, and a ferrule covering the joint and uniting the head and, shaft comprising a of adherent contractile material wrapped thereabout, the successive convolutions of which are united one with another and contracted in situ.

5. A golf club comprising a shaft having a tapered end and a head with atapered shank, the latter being bored to receive said end, and, a ferrule converging interiorly from its ends toward its middle and formed by wrapping about said joint a portion of contractile sheet like material, capable of being shrunk and hardened in situ.

6. A golf club comprising a shaft having a tapering end and a head having a tapering shank, in which said end is secured, and a wrapping of initially plastic material in strip form, forming a ferrule of hardened material tapering interiorly from its endstoward its middle and shrunk upon the parts at the point of their union.

7. A golf club comprising a shaft having a tapering end and a head having a tapering shank, in which said end is secured, and,

a tubular ferrule of hardened plastic material encircling the shaft and shank at the point ofhtheir union comprising a strip of expanded sheet material wrapped thereabout and shrunk and hardened in situ.

8. A golf club comprising a shafthaving a tapering end, and a head having a tapering shank, in which said end is secured, and a tubular ferrule of hardened plastic material encircling the shaft and shank at thepoint of convergence of the taper of the shank and that of the shaft, to unite the head and shaft, comprisingan initial coating of plastic adhesive material, and an over wrapping of a flat strip of contractile material.

by being subjected to a solvent agent and allowing the wrapped strip shrink and harden in situ.

11. The herein described method of joining a golf clubshaft and head comprising inserting the end of the shaft in a bore in the shank of the golf club head, coating the portions of the shaft and head shank adjacent their. juncture with; a cementitious material and wrapping thereabout a fiat contractile strip while in an extended condition and permitting the contractile wrapping strip to shrink upon the coated surface about which it is wrapped.

12. The herein described method of joining a golf club shaft and head comprising inserting the end of the shaft in a. bore in the shank of the golf club head, wrapping thereabout a flat strip of reinforcement material and integrally joining the marginal edges ofsuccessive convolutions to form a continuous ferrule converglng inwardly from its ends toward its middle and conforming with the contour of the adjacent portions of the shaft and shank. o

13. The herein described method of joininga golf club shaft and headcomprising inserting the end of the shaft in a bore in the shank of the golf club head, and wrapping thereabout a flat adherent strip of re.- inforcing material to form a ferrule convergmg. inwardly from its opposite ends and conforming to the contour of the adjacent portions of the shaft and head shank.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of July, A. D. 1923.

,WILLIAMIB. snuE. 

